Fr. Evangelos K. Mantzouneas
Secretary of the Greek Synod Committee on Legal and Canonical Matters
Fraternization from a Canonical Perspective
Athens 1982
[English translation by Efthimios Mavrogeorgiadis, May 1994]
[Minor editing by Nicholas Zymaris]
F R A T E R N I Z A T I O N
In the Canonical sources one can often come upon fraternization,
which however has now only historical importance. Fraternization is a
very old custom which, with various variations which are imposed by
evolution, continues to survive even today in many parts of the world.
Fraternization attempts to give a more concrete form to the close
friendship which binds together two persons which have no blood relation.
Because there no bond closer than the bond of the blood, from very early
in history it was established that fraternization should be performed with
actual imparting of blood from the one fraternized part to the other.
Through fraternization the ideal love between youths was made obvious.
Its influence and its consequences were revealed in immortal deeds such as
the heroic death of the "hieros lochos" ["Sacred Band", a famous all-gay male
military unit] of Thebes during the battle of Chaeroneia in 338 B.C. (Xenoph.
Polit. Laked. II, 12 Ploutarch Erot. 17 Pelop. 18).
In ancient Greece there are very many examples of close friendship
which could result to the self-sacrifice of one of the friends for the
sake of the other. First Herodotus informs us about real ceremonies of
fraternization which were performed by the peoples of Asia, Lydes and
Scyths. Lydes used to nick their arms with a sharp object and when they
would start bleeding they would lick the blood of the one who was to
become their blood-brother. Scyths also used to nick their arms but they
would let the blood of the ones to be fraternized run down together into a
glass where it was mixed with wine. They used to wet the tip of their arms
with this mixture and they would afterwards drink it. Under analogous
forms this custom of fraternization was found in Rome, Byzantium and in
all the later peoples of the West. It is especially found though, more
than anywhere else, in the Balkan Peninsula where - especially during the
Ottoman era - the oppressed people used to be fraternized in order to
fight the enemy with greater unity. In Western Europe as well as in the
Balkans the Church started from very early to recognize and even bless
fraternization with a special celebration. This kind of solemnization had
as a result on the one hand the extension of the relation to all the other
members of the family of the blood-brothers and on the other the creation
of social and legal questions such as e.g. even hereditary demands. That
is why provisions were issued which decreed that fraternization was not
banned as a custom but it could not create any legal consequence. Despite
these provisions the peoples continued and still continue in many parts of
the world to attribute a lot of importance in fraternization, much more
than the importanee which the Church and the State wanted to recognize. In
Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria and not less in Greece the custom of
fraternization was so well rooted that it was considered by the other
members of the family as well as a bond equal to blood relation. Marriages
between members of the families of the blood-brothers were blocked and,
because the blood-brothers were called "crossbrothers", after some time it
became a habit to address all the other relatives with the prefix "cross"
e.g. "cross- mother", "crossfather", "crossbrother-in-law" etc. Among the
many ritual customs with which fraternization was made official in Ottoman
Greece is the following. When the blood-brothers were more than two, they
would surround the Priest and they would bind a handkerchief from the belt
of his cassock. They would hold the other end of the handkerchief. The
Priest would then start to bless them while they would quietly utter the
fraternization vow which was not stereotyped but was written by the Priest
or even by the blood-brothers-to-be themselves. Blood-brothers had
various names in various Greek areas influenced from the languages of the
neighboring people. Thus, in Epeirus they were called "vlamides", in
Macedonia "bratimi", in Peloponnesus "brazerides", in Crete "adelfokhti"
and in other places "kardasides", "arkadasides" and "markadasides".
A weakened form of this custom of fraternization is till even
today, not only in Greece but even in very many places in Europe, the
usual custom of the blood-brothers to drink wine crossing their arms. But
even in Roman Law "Fraterna Capitas" on the basis of which one could
become somebody's heir was not unknown (DIG. XXVIII. 5. 58,1). However, it
was forbidden to adopt one as one's brother and every fraternization which
aimed at inheritance was without legal value. Diocletian banned
fraternizations with a special decree with which he declared every
likewise demand to be illegal (Constitutio 4 Dec. 285).
The legislation of the Isaurs does not mention this ban. However,
it is found in the "Vasilika". "Mede paxenos tois exw Romes oikousi dia
theseos adelfotes sunistastho, kan tis os adelfos prosleftheis kleronomos
grafei, ekpiptestho tes kleronomias" (Vas. 35, 13, 17).
However, the legislation was not opposed to the custom of
fraternization because it was deeply rooted in the people. Thus,
Strategius was blood-brother of Emperor Justinian. Patricius Severus was
blood-brother of Emperor Constans (641-668), grandson of Emperor
Heraclius. Michael III became blood-brother with Basil with a Church
ritual in the Church (L. Grammatikos Bekker edition p. 234).
It has been said that, whenever fraternizations were taking place
with the blessing of the Church, there were created marriage blocks. This
block a spiritual one, similar to baptism (Zhisman, ibid. p. 560).
The usual service is found in the Euchologion of J. Goar Venice
edition and we include it for reference.
S E R V I C E
F O R S P I R I T U A L F R A T E R N I Z A T I 0 N
The two services as they are found in Goar Venice edition pp. 706-8 are
included.
.............................................................................
However, because a lot of strayings took place, fraternization was
considered to be suspicious. Not rarely fraternizations took place with
intentions of conspiracy, murder and other atrocities. That is why the
Church and the State banned this artificial relation. Thus, the Church of
Greece with its encyclical of 11 June 1859 banned fraternization. This ban
was repeated with two more encyclicals of the Church on 26 September 1862
and 11 January 1863 (Tom. Egkykl. Giannopoulon 466-469).
Let it be said though that even today in some areas of the country
such as Epeirus fraternizations are taking place. Various persons still
become "vlamides" in front of the Priest in Epeirus as I have been
informed by Priests in Epeirus. A special Service is read.
This service is as follows:
Blessed is God...
Show mercy on us...
Still let us pray for our Archbishop...
Still let us pray for your servants (names...)
Because you are merciful...
Let us pray to the Lord... Master, Lord, who made man according to your
image and liking [likeness? NZ], who deigned your Holy Apostles Philip and
Bartholomew to
become brothers nowhere new in the law of nature (oudamou kainous fuseos
nomou) but in Holy spirit and in the way of the faith, who deemed you
martyrs Sergius and Bacchus worthy to be called brothers, this same Lord
bless also your servants here (x and x) binding them with a Spiritual
bond, not in the law of nature (ou nomou fuseos) but in the way of faith
and love. Make them love each other, allow them to be blameless and
unscandalized all their days of their life, protect them from every
demonic influence, in order to be glorified the most holy name of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[I have my reservations about my translation of this service. EM]
[See subsequent e-mail for revisions - NZ]
In other areas of Epeirus the Priest reads the Eirmos of the 5th
Ode of the Canon of Holy Thursday "The Apostles bound with the bond of
love, offering themselves to Christ, who saves everybody, weakened their
nice legs, giving the good news of peace to everybody". [I have my
reservations about this piece as well - especially the verb. EM] If we
draw parallels on this service, we will notice that the prayer as well as
the Ode can be found in the Service of Goar as it was presented above.
The following must be also stressed. In Epeirus and Crete
fraternization like baptism creates a marriage block, because "vlamis"
calls the relatives of his "vlamis", "crossfather", "crossmother",
"crossbrother" and "crosssister".
[End of article]
-------- Forwarded Message
Christ is risen!
In his comments about adelphopoiesis EM says:
>> In other areas of Epeirus the Priest reads the Eirmos of the 5th
Ode of the Canon of Holy Thursday "The Apostles bound with the bond of
love, offering themselves to Christ, who saves everybody, weakened their
nice legs, giving the good news of peace to everybody". [I have my
reservations about this piece as well - especially the verb. EM]<<
We must be very careful in translation, especially with sacred texts, and
be as accurate as possible, lest we inadvertently admit blasphemous
distortions.
Here is the text in Greek:
Heirmos, Ode V, Canon at Matins for Holy Thursday, Tone Pl. 2 (6th):
To^j syndesmo^j te-s agape-s syndeo'menoi hoi Apo'stoloi, to^j
despo'zonti to^n ho'lo-n heautou`s Christo^j anathe'menoi, horai'ous po'das
exapeni'zonto, euangelizo'menoi pa^sin eire-'ne-n.
[Note on the transliteration: A following circumflex ^ indicates a
circumflex accent on the preceding vowel (which is always long), the acute
accent is ', and the grave accent is `. A following dash indicates a long
vowel: o- is omega, e- is eta. The letter j indicates an iota subscript to
the preceding vowel. Otherwise the usual rules of classical
transliteration were applied. It should be very easy for one who knows the
Greek alphabet to reconstruct the original spelling.]
The only difficult part in the above heirmos is the only finite verb in the
sentence (the others are participles): exapenizonto. This is analyzed
thus: The root is the verb nizo which means to wash (as hands), and is the
older form of nipto. The middle voice indicates action done with or for
the interest of the subject (e.g. to wash one's hands). The epsilon before
the root is a sign of a past tense, here the imperfect, as further
indicated by the ending, and it views the action as ongoing in the past.
The two prefixes, ex and ap(o), together mean from off of, conveying the
idea of thorough cleansing.
A literal translation might run thus:
By the bond/tie of love being bound the Apostles, to the
one-having-rule of all (things) themselves to Christ having offered,
beautiful feet (direct obj of vb) they thoroughly washed for themselves,
announcing-good-tidings to all peace.
In Slavonic the text is (this is a close, almost literal translation of the
Greek):
Soju'zom ljubve` svjazu'emi apo'stoli, vlady'chestvujuschemu
vsje'mi sebe` Xristu` vozlo'zhshe, kra'sny no'gi ochischa'xu,
blagovjestvu'jusche vsje^m mi'r.
[Note on transliteration: The Slavonic abbreviations have been expanded.
The accent convention is the same as in Greek. The silent letter "er"
(hard sign) has been omitted when they appear at the end of a word.]
Bp Kallistos (Ware) and Mother Mary in their Lenten Triodion give this as:
United by the bond of love and offering themselves to Christ the
Lord, the apostles were washed clean; and with feet made beautiful, they
preached to all the Gospel of peace.
Which seems to be a quite adequate translation.
Please do not mention my name as I do not wish to be drawn into
the fray over this messy issue.
Yours in Christ,
Fr N.N.
-------- End of Forwarded Message
>
> >> In other areas of Epeirus the Priest reads the Eirmos of the 5th
> Ode of the Canon of Holy Thursday "The Apostles bound with the bond of
> love, offering themselves to Christ, who saves everybody, weakened their
> nice legs, giving the good news of peace to everybody". [I have my
> reservations about this piece as well - especially the verb. EM]<<
>
> We must be very careful in translation, especially with sacred texts, and
> be as accurate as possible, lest we inadvertently admit blasphemous
> distortions.
>
> By the bond/tie of love being bound the Apostles, to the
> one-having-rule of all (things) themselves to Christ having offered,
> beautiful feet (direct obj of vb) they thoroughly washed for themselves,
> announcing-good-tidings to all peace.
>
Mark and Fr. N.N.,
Thank you so much for the correction! I am sorry I couldn't give the correct
translation but the original verb in the booklet whose translation was
posted in various lists was "exa_t_enizonto" which is obviously a
mistake. Thus, because the text wasn't making sense, I expressed my
reservations. Moreover, I don't have any liturgical books here to
crosscheck it and thus the mistake appeared. I certainly didn't have any
intention to sound offensive or, God forbid, blasphemous. Originally the
text was intended for Mr Michael DiMaio's private use and thus it was
translated very quickly. Thus, it contains a lot of spelling and language
mistakes (I'm not a native English speaker). It will certainly be
corrected and reposted. Therefore, any more suggestions and corrections
would be more than helpful.
Thanks once more Mark and Fr. N. N. and, please, pray to the Lord to
forgive me any problems that my translation may have caused.
Christ is risen
Efthimios